Pousada Geres-Caniçada – Charming Hotel

We were on a month long trip to Portugal in May. Made all of the traditional stops with a few off the beaten track, but not to be missed, stops. Stayed 3 nights at Pousada Canicada-Geres so we could do some hiking in Portugal’s National Park (Peneda-Geres). What a beautiful place to stay. Comfy sitting areas with fireplaces. Amazing views from our balcony and from the hotel in general. Delicious breakfast with many choices ( fresh fruit, breads, eggs, cereals, fresh yogurt, cheeses) . Friendly staff. We arrived late and we were met with a warm welcome despite the hour. Great place to stay.

Excellent views, with an excellent welcome package. Staff very friendly and knowledgeable of their surroundings. A place where you can accomplish a well deserved rest and enjoy the simple pleasures of life. Plan to return for extra time.

Great views and the location is a decent jumping off point for exploring Peneda Gerês. Room is fine, but nothing fancy. King bed is just two small beds placed side-by-side which was strange. For the price it’s hard to complain, and I’d definitely consider staying there again.

We weren’t wowed by this place, I think an average rating is fair. Check in was fine, the price of the room I think is too much but choice of hotels is more limited in this region. The room was a little dated but the bathroom was better, everything was clean. A minibar fridge with not much in it which is helpful for bringing your own drinks. The bed was two singles put together, but also the sheets and duvets were for single beds put together which is always a bit strange when you’re a couple. Be careful with the room you book, I didn’t pay enough attention. We booked a superior terrace room with view to the dam. The view can’t be seen from the room really, our view was of the back of the kitchen. The terrace is a balcony like section with a short wall and then a road, which is an access route it seems for some guests and staff. I just didn’t feel like there was much privacy in the room with the door open or sitting out on the terrace, I’d have preferred a balcony if I was doing it again. I did check if I could upgrade and unfortunately nothing was available, so my fault but study the rooms carefully. We spent a lot of time listening to next doors TV through the wall, we complained but ultimately its poor sound insulation and even when the guy turned it down a bit we could still listen along to Sky News headlines. The breakfast was quite good, wide selection in the buffet, restocked regularly. The glasses are stupidly small so you get about theee sips out of them and you’re up to refill again, these should be changed. We found the dinner not as good, and very expensive. €4 for a single slice of bread and some olive oil, service was patchy. The ambience isn’t amazing and the guests skew a bit geriatric. The restaurant choice close by is quite small and all really require a drive, but we had a better time elsewhere. The pool is nice, there are numerous areas to sit and admire the very good view. The pousada itself is an interesting venue. Of all the places we visited on our northern Portugal trip we found this hotel the most disappointing - not because there’s anything massively wrong with it but just the little things I’ve mentioned here dragging the experience down. We may have been the wrong clientele, the guests mainly seemed to be older groups and couples who perhaps enjoyed the older style hotel on offer.

We spent a lovely two nights in this historic Pousada with its amazing views and welcoming, accommodating staff. The building and grounds with a lovely pool were designed to offer vistas in all directions and did not disappoint. We were there to hike in the National Park nearby which offers amazing trails up in the mountains and down to spring fed lakes. I’d recommend dining in the hotel restaurant as there’s no better place to view sunset, and the winding roads up and down mountain would be quite daunting in the dark. The meals were delicious as well.

What an amazing location and wonderful hotel! Beautiful views from the deck outside the dining room as well as from our balcony. I only wish that we could have stayed more days-so relaxing and peaceful!